Japan Press Weekly

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2012 May 30 - June 5 [LABOR]

Workers take action calling for withdrawal of unjust dismissals

Calling for withdrawal of unjust dismissals, union workers in Tokyo on May 31 made representations to companies to reinstate laid off workers to their workplaces.

This annual action was hosted by the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the Tokyo Local Council of Trade Unions (Tokyo-Chihyo).

Over 500 workers surrounded the Tokyo District Court, which judged in favor of companies one after another on the cases of workers’ dismissals at Honda, Isuzu, and Japan Airlines (JAL).

Koseki Mamoru, president of the Tokyo joint conference of plaintiffs’ groups, criticized Japan’s judicial authorities for changing society into one where workers can be discharged at any time. He called for this campaign to be spread in order to put a stop to this dismantling of workers’ rights.

In front of JAL’s head office, 320 workers gathered with the plaintiffs. Representing the New Japan Women’s Association, Hirano Emiko said that the association sent a report to the United Nations Headquarters arguing that the dismissals by JAL infringe upon Japanese women’s human rights. “Discharged cabin crew members have fought against the company to change working conditions under which female workers had to give up working when getting married or becoming pregnant. Women workers have worked for a long time to create a society in which people can keep working until they reach retirement age,” she said.

Around 60 union members called on the authorities of Tokyo’s Nakano City to reinstate two workers to their ex-workplace. The two were dismissed by a private company operating childcare centers in the city after being bullied and harassed.

The municipality has outsourced the childcare service to the private sector. The two workers, witnessing acts of violence toward children, bullying and power harassment of teachers in their childcare school, reported them to the authorities. The city, however, stated that there was no evidence to support their allegations without hearing directly from them.

Araki Masataka, one of the dismissed workers, said, “Calling up all our courage, we informed the authorities of the facts and we were fired. We request the municipality to improve the welfare service on behalf of citizens, not for business profit.”